“Help! There are squirrels in the attic!” We get this frantic call often.
Having squirrels in the attic is a common problem that homeowners and cottage owners face. Squirrels are tiny creatures that can get into attics from very small openings. A crack, tear, or hole in your roof, eaves, window, soffits, vents,or trim boards is all they need to get in. Attics are warm, dry, and cozy—they’re the perfect place for squirrels to nest and store food in.
Unfortunately, squirrels in the attic can wreak havoc, gnawing on your electrical wires and boards, destroying your insulation, and leaving feces and urine everywhere.
When you have squirrels in the attic, you don’t want to ignore the issue or procrastinate. You must get proactive in removing them before the damage gets out of control.
Here’s what you need to do to get them out.
Don’t Try to Eliminate the Problem on Your Own
You may want to save on costs and try to remove the squirrels on your own. Though having squirrels in the attic is a common occurrence, it isn’t an easy one to solve. A single colony of these critters will contain no less than 20 individuals. Trapping one or two of them just isn’t enough to completely eliminate the problem. Plus, squirrels rarely enter traps left indoors. Trapping squirrels is a long and slow process, and it isn’t very effective, either.
In addition, female squirrels often reside in attics in order to care for their babies. And these helpless babies won’t be able to leave on their own and can’t be trapped. Without your help, they’ll die. And you could face a lot more damage from a scared mother squirrel trying to get back inside to save her babies. They need to be removed by hand and reunited with their mother.
Live trapping squirrels and “relocating” them to another area is also dangerous to the critters. It might seem like taking them to the woods, far away from your home, is the most humane way to eliminate the issue. After all, you’re not killing them or poisoning them, but few squirrels survive relocation to a new environment. And simply removing a few squirrels won’t stop others from coming in, either.
Get a Home Inspection
If you hear scratching and skittering in your attic, then the best first move to make is to call a wildlife removal company to get a home inspection. During this inspection, the wildlife removal experts will identify potential entry points and exits, will confirm whether or not squirrels are your problem, will try to determine how big your infestation is, and will come up with a plan for safe and humane removal.
Safe Removal: One-Way Doors
The most humane way to remove squirrels from your attic is to seal all entrances except one and mount a one-way door on that entrance point, where the squirrels will be able to leave but not return. This is what ahumane wildlife removal company will do. It will also remove the babies by hand, if there are any.
Prevention
Once the squirrels have been removed, it’s time for repairs and restorations to ensure that they don’t find their way back into your home again. After all, prevention is the best cure. Having your wildlife removal company handle these prevention measures is the best option, since its experts will be able to ensure that no inconspicuous entry points have been missed.
They’ll repair your damage, rot, tears, and cracks. They’ll seal up all the holes in the most vulnerable places and all the holes made by the critters. They’ll install heavy-duty screens behind vents if needed. With no further access, you won’t have any more infestation problems. That’s a guarantee.